Reset
by shizutte
Summary: Post R2 ending. I'm afraid this is going to be long, and involve quite a bit of things. But I'll certainly complete it -- I already have the story outline down.
1. Wake

Lelouch woke up, and spent ten minutes staring at the familiar ceiling of his palace bedroom, before finally concluding that he is probably not dead.

It should be either early morning, or late afternoon, judging from the thin light penetrating the thick curtains he had used on the windows. It was oddly peaceful, given that he had not died.

He should have died.

He remembered sitting on that ridiculous parade vehicle, cursing the hot sun which was sending turrets of sweat down his back and probably starting to give Nanali a slight tan, and waiting. He remembered the moment of brief panic and then relief, as he watched that figure in clothes so familiar yet with gait never so agile, leaping past bullets. He remembered how he forgot not to stop himself smile in anticipation of the end, as he drew his pistol with a careless grip, almost flinging it away in his rush before the blade struck it. He remembered the fast whisper of the blade as it slides out, almost painless in its sheer speed. And he remembered, on the border of unconsciousness, Nanali s proclamation which any brother would die to hear C well he died then.

It s pretty perfect, no one would be prouder of orchestrating such a spectaculars show.

Except that he s not dead, not now.

Which is kind of disappointing, once you got over the surprise of it C or a perfectionist like Lelouch.

Lelouch curled his toes and fingers, discovered that he can indeed do it, he breathed in and out, and lifted the sheets to see his own chest, smooth and free of any gaping scar spewing blood. Flinging back the covers, Lelouch got off the bed, and inspected himself in front of the long mirror. Nothing happened, and he s just alive, as usual.

"I m glad to see that you re recovered enough to engage in some healthy dose of narcissism."

C.C. sat up on the other side of the bed, where she was woken up a while ago by Lelouch.

For once, Lelouch decided not to bother with the comment. There s something comfortingly normalising, to hear those sarcastic remarks which they exchange like a daily habit. He picked out some clothes and started to get dressed.

"I'm not dead."

Lelouch heard his own voice echo off the walls, a little odd and strained. His throat felt oddly like they're stuffed full of pine needles, dry and airy, but not painful.

"No you re not. Dead people don t stand stark naked in front of mirrors and stare at themselves."

Lelouch turned to retort, and found himself snugly in a tight embrace.

"Good morning Lelouch"

"Good morning, C.C."

* * *

This is going to be quite long.

I have the story outline down since Christmas, but never an opportunity to write it proper. -- There's so much to do as a university student, and you're constantly longing for some sleep.

Then I figured that if I can't start, it'll never get written.

And thus here it is, my embarkment on my first long fic for Code Geass.


	2. Restart

C.C. swirled the teacup, and watched the white milk melt in a spiral into the steaming tea.

Across the low table, Lelouch dropped a cube of brown sugar with his long fingers into the tea, and slowly stirred with a spoon. Neither is in the habit of breakfast, and they settled for some tea over which to discuss the matter most pressing.

C.C. reached for a spoon, and opened the discussion.

"Here s what I think happened -- you re not dead, because the Zero Requiem hasn't happened yet."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow.

"Where are we?"

"A week before."

Lelouch glanced at the clock and did some silent flipping of his mental schedule. He was due to see Suzaku in the afternoon, for the final matters regarding Zero Requiem. For the time being, he can afford the luxury of killing time, over tea.

"So...we time travelled? That would interest Lloyd immensely."

C.C. tasted her tea, and reached for the sugar bowl. She had already tried to probe Lloyd carefully, only to discover that he, unlike her and Lelouch, and in fact Suzaku as well, has no recollection at all of events that ought to have happened. In all probability, code and geass is involved.

"I don t know. You could say we time travelled, or time loop back on itself. Or you could say that we jumped through parallel universes, or that the universe decided to reset itself."

"Or you could say that we're actually receiving memory from our doppelgangers in another universe, or that reality is an illusion," Lelouch suggested helpfully.

"We're probably going against least resistance in the realm of theoretical physics to say that we hallucinated, together. Statistically that's the least demanding option."

Lelouch smirked, "To think a witch would stand so stoically in reality."

"We're just somehow here, a week before Zero Requiem has happened, with the memory that it had happened," C.C. stated, matter of fact. The best arguments can't beat reality.

"And even you don't know why."

That is true as well. They stared at each other, for the first time equally clueless and quite embarrassed. Each searched their mind for a prickly comment to lighten the atmosphere.

C.C. finally admitted, "No, I checked the royal vaults, for historical records and research papers on code-geass. There s nothing definite yet, but I have a feeling that I'm getting close."

Sensing the matter closed, Lelouch drained his cup.

"I understand, totally. It s not easy to find records on things that haven't happened yet. Maybe we'll know if we try again won't we?"

"Lelouch..."

Lelouch lowered his cup gracefully, and put it down with a flourish onto the solid oak for the extra effect, but the expected retort did not arrive.

C.C. stared silently at her own tea, and finally raised it to her lips, drinking down the sickly sweet and milky concoction, together with words she cannot bring herself to say. Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul. Hope is the thing with feathers, injured and caged, and she would not have it thrash in futility towards death. Across the rim of her own tea, C.C. watched Lelouch sigh gently, sink back into the richly cushioned chair back and close his eyes. His breath escaped into the thin, dead air, spiralling up the high-vaulted ceiling.

There are times, when C.C. wished she had picked someone else, who was less truthful, less principled, less responsible, in all the ways that Lelouch was. And then she would wish that she had not lived so long, so she could still lose herself in wilfulness, ignorance, and selfishness. That he could turn a blind eye to the world, and she a deaf ear to her heart. Then they could manipulate each other without a second thought, and it would have ended, long time ago, she finally closing her hand around her fulfilled wish, he to shoulder the next lap of that eternal curse with glee. It would be quite perfect.

Except he was Lelouch, and so she have no choice but to be C.C. -- and she would gladly be.

C.C. drained her own tea, composed her mind, and got up.

"Shall I call Suzaku?"

Lelouch got up, and picked up Zero s mask from the low shelf. He studied his own reflection on its glossy black surface.

"C.C."

C.C. paused in her tracks. She was heading to catch some nap, after two sleepless nights.

"What, Lelouch?"

With his eyes, Lelouch traced the streak of golden morning sun that flowed along the green hair of the witch, quivering.

"C.C. , I'm sorry."

C.C. replied curtly, "Don t be. I m a witch."

Lelouch laughed wryly at his own feeble sentimentality. He let drop the mask in his hand, and closed the distance between them.

Gathering thin shoulders in his arms, Lelouch buried his face in the green tresses, and whispered.

"Indeed, my witch."

* * *

It is the romance of grown-ups, of what that did not happen, because circumstances dictate it to be so, of resignation, of love even so, that I find immensely interesting to write. I'm probably very much off the mark in terms of reality, but it's all the same pretty in my mind.

Anyway, THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE REVIEWS! I will attempt to survive through the last bit of this term, and put some solid storyline down at the start of the holiday, before I am again drowned in the endless workload. There's about one more chapter laying down the groundwork, and then we'll have ACTION!

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Some changes made to make things clearer. Thanks to Lord Eldric


End file.
